This no bake chocolate biscuit cake is made with digestive biscuits, homemade chocolate sauce, and topped with nuts.
This cake recipe is definitely a family favorite. When we make this cake, it disappears in under a day. This cake is made with the simplest ingredients that you can find in your kitchen. We can’t wait for you to try it!
If you like chocolate recipes as we do, you should check out our double chocolate banana bread, chewy and fudgy brownies, best ever chocolate cake, chewy double chocolate cookies, and our easy chocolate cupcakes!
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Why this recipe works
- Is a no-bake recipe!
- Made with simple ingredients that you can probably find in your kitchen.
- Looks fancy and takes little effort.
- Everyone's favorite cake!
- Made without turning the oven on!
Ingredients
Before you start to make this lazy cake recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Butter- use unsalted butter for this recipe. Only butter will work for this recipe, no margarine, and no coconut oil. Margarine has a weird taste and can ruin the flavor of these delicious cookies.
Dutch cocoa powder– we like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for our chocolate cake because we like the deep and rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work great as well!
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Water- use room temperature water.
Vanilla extract- Vanilla extract Is an essential ingredient for chocolate cake.
Vanilla wafers- you will need vanilla wafers for this recipe. If you don’t have vanilla wafers (or vanilla biscuits), you can use vanilla tea biscuits and digestive biscuits.
For the chocolate ganache:
Chocolate- use the best quality semisweet or dark chocolate bars for the best flavor. using the best quality dark chocolate is very important in this recipe.
Heavy cream- use full-fat heavy cream for this recipe. the heavy cream makes this chocolate cake. This cant is substituted.
Assembly:
Nuts- we used walnuts in this recipe but you can make this recipe with any toasted nuts that you like most like hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc. we highly recommend toasting the nuts before putting them on the cake.
Instructions
Start out with making the chocolate syrup: In a small pan mix together granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and water on low to medium heat.
Add the butter and mix with a whisk until it’s fully melted. Add the vanilla extract and mix for another minute. When the mixture is completely smooth, set the mixture aside to cool for 15 minutes.
Break the biscuit into small pieces with your hands or with a food processor.
Pour the chocolate sauce into the bowl with the biscuits.
Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the biscuit pieces are well coated.
Add the mixture into a parchment paper-lined cake pan and press down the mixture with a spoon. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Make the chocolate ganache:
Melt dark chocolate and heavy cream in a small to medium mixing bowl in the microwave for about 50 seconds.
Let the chocolate and the cream sit for 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then mix until the chocolate ganache is smooth and silky.
Pour the chocolate ganache on top of the biscuit cake and smooth the top with a spoon.
Cover with plastic wrap and place the biscuit cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Toast walnuts or your favorite nuts in a pan and chop with a sharp knife.
Top the cake with the toasted walnuts. Serve next to a coffee or tea, and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Add some of your favorite add-ins! Make this recipe your own and add your favorite add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, chocolate chunks, M&M, caramel sauce, white chocolate, kinder, toffee, and more! Be creative!
- Make sure you line your baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the cake to stick to the pan.
- If you are keeping this recipe simple, add your favorite nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc. we highly recommend toasting the nuts before putting them into the salami.
- Keep the cake chilled in the fridge before serving. if you place the cake at room temperature, the chocolate may melt.
Faq's
We like to use Dutch prosses cocoa powder, because it gives the cake a deeper rich chocolate taste, and cocoa powder will work! It’s just a personal preference.
This cake will last up to 5 days stored in the fridge. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying. This cake tastes amazing the day after.
Yes! You can use any kind of your favorite nuts in this recipe. Feel free to switch out the nuts for what you have available or for what you like best!
Serving tips
Serve this cake with a thick layer of chocolate ganache, and top it with chopped toasted nuts. We used walnuts but you can use your favorite nuts for this.
Variations
Add-ins- make this recipe your own and add your favorite add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, mini chocolate chips, chocolate chunks, banana slices, chopped fruit, etc.
Nutella- for a delicious Nutella flavor, add ¼ cup of Nutella to the mixture.
Peanut butter- add ¼ cup of creamy or crunchy peanut butter to this cake to give this cake a chocolate peanut butter flavor.
Add in ideas
If you want to spice up your cake, there are many ways to do so. here are a few add-in ideas for this dessert:
- Nuts
- Chocolate chips
- Caramel
- Toffee
- White chocolate
- Coconut
Substitutions
Dairy-free- to make this cake dairy-free, replace the butter with vegan butter. Do not use margarine, it has a bad flavor and will ruin your cake.
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the biscuits with gluten-free ones.
Freezing
Freeze this cake in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months, and cover the cake with a few layers of plastic wrap.
Our tip is not to freeze it decorated or covered with frosting, because it can ruin the decorating on the cake, we suggest freezing the cake and decorate it when you defrost it.
If you’re not looking to impress anyone with your decorating skills, it’s absolutely okay to freeze the cake with the frosting on.
When ready to thaw, place the cake at room temperature for a few hours or overnight in the fridge.
More chocolate recipes:
Chocolate sour cream pound cake- This chocolate sour cream pound cake is moist, chocolaty, and easy to make. It's topped with a silky smooth chocolate ganache that makes this cake irresistible.
Small chocolate cake- This small chocolate cake is perfect when you're craving a chocolate cake but don't want to make a big chocolate cake. We made this chocolate cake in an 8x8 inch baking pan.
Triple chocolate cake- This triple chocolate cake is made with three layers of a moist chocolate cake, frosted with decadent chocolate buttercream, topped with chocolate ganache drip, and chocolate whipped cream.
Double chocolate banana bread- This double chocolate banana bread is filled and topped with chocolate chips, extra moist, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
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Chocolate Biscuit Cake (Lazy Cake)
Ingredients
- 500 g Tea biscuit
- ½ cup Dutch cocoa powder
- 1 cup Granulated sugar
- 1 cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 150 g Butter
Chocolate ganache:
- 100 g Heavy cream
- 100 g Dark chocolate
Assembly:
- ½ cup Walnuts
Instructions
Make the chocolate syrup:
- In a small pan mix together granulated sugar, cocoa powder, and water on low to medium heat.
- Add the butter and mix with a whisk until it’s fully melted. Add the vanilla extract and mix for another minute. When the mixture is completely smooth, set the mixture aside to cool for 15 minutes.
- Break the biscuit into small pieces with your hands or with a food processor.
- Pour the chocolate sauce into the bowl with the biscuits.
- Mix well with a wooden spoon until all the biscuit pieces are well coated.
- Add the mixture into a parchment paper-lined cake pan and press down the mixture with a spoon. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Make the chocolate ganache:
- Melt dark chocolate and heavy cream in a small to medium mixing bowl in the microwave for about 50 seconds.
- Let the chocolate and the cream sit for 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then mix until the chocolate ganache is smooth and silky.
- Pour the chocolate ganache on top of the biscuit cake and smooth the top with a spoon.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place the biscuit cake in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
- Toast walnut in a pan and chop with a sharp knife.
- Top the cake with the toasted walnuts. Serve next to a coffee or tea, and enjoy!
Notes
- Add some of your favorite add-ins! Make this recipe your own and add your favorite add-ins: chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, chopped pecans, chocolate chunks, M&M, caramel sauce, white chocolate, kinder, toffee, and more! Be creative!
- Make sure you line your baking pan with parchment paper to prevent the cake to stick to the pan.
- If you are keeping this recipe simple, add your favorite nuts like hazelnuts, almonds, pistachios, etc. we highly recommend toasting the nuts before putting them into the salami.
- Keep the cake chilled in the fridge before serving. if you place the cake at room temperature, the chocolate may melt.
Sara
My late mother made something called cocoa pie, with social tea biscuits, cocoa, butter and wine. She kept it in the freezer and we loved it. I have been looking for a similar recipe for years! I’m going to add some type of liquor to this recipe and hope it brings back tasty memories. Thank you!